Cat Chat Feline Forum

Yes it is different, my cat was at death's door and we are not prepared to put him through tests only to find that either not much can be done, or treatment would be very invasive, and it is likely it would not extend his good life by much. It was just to illustrate that as much as we don't like som...

I don't like steroids but ... my old boy is on them for life and it's the only thing between him and the Rainbow Bridge. We don't know what's wrong - renal failure for sure, possible hyperthyroid, maybe lymphoma or maybe inflammatory bowel - all I know is he was 24 hours from the end, had lost 10% o...

Welcome and congratulations on being owned by a cat! Although the odd loose one isn't a concern, watery and going on for a while starts to run some risks. For a small creature like a cat with a low thirst drive, dehydration can become serious quite quickly, so when Kiki has watery stools for a while...

What is the situation with the dog, exactly? Is the dog here permanently, or for a short time? This might make some difference to what we can suggest. Did you get some kind of waterproof cover for the bed? That would at least protect the bed while we all help you figure this out. I went back and rea...

Ruth that reminds me of another factor to take into account, how much we would put our pets through in terms of treatment. Take Molly's hyperthyroidism, we took the very expensive option because it was the least interference for her and we felt the treatment was worth the results. If she got a condi...

I used to work in the insurance sector and most people are surprised to learn that the margin they work to is to pay out 50% of premiums collected. That is over all types of insurance over everyone in the country over any given year. Car insurance is compulsory, house insurance is just stupid not to...

I don't. The last time I did was for my cat who died in 2003 aged 16 of renal failure - she had a potent flea collar, was vaccinated yearly and also had the leukemia vaccine, but she was never wormed. After that we had 3 indoor/outdoor cats who were flea treated on a need basis around every 2 years ...

Inky has only been with you a month, only. She may be settling well but her new home is still new to her. The dog may not bother her directly but it is an intruder in her new home and then she has been confined to the bedroom, and if she's not used to being put in one room this is a new experience t...

I'm suspicious he has arthritis too - he keeps randomly licking bits of himself very suddenly, which could indicate pain. What supplements would help? Metacam seems to be perking him up, so it's doing something. I think the logic was he wasn't eating due to sore gums. Could be many things but I'd a...

Well, I qualified as a counselling therapist more than a decade ago and my chosen specialist field was grief and loss. One of the reasons I went into this study was after a particularly difficult loss, my feline soulmate. I'm not an expert but shall we call it my area of interest. In a word, no. It ...

It's not a matter of whose cat has the "issue" they are both trying to do what comes naturally to cats - padding about, smelling the flowers, rolling in the grass, chasing butterflies, and getting into scraps. It's your neighbour's choice to keep her cat indoors in a very small space with a view on ...

You have no idea how much this has eased my worries. Thank you so much. I’ve read so much about not letting cats out, that they’ll fight with everyone and everything and I’d got myself so worked up about whether or not to let her out. I may give it a little longer just until I’m brave enough but wi...

Where's the LIKE button? Ruth I love your advice and I love your Ragdoll. Mine (retired stud aged 8) came with a contract including never to roam free. I don't even agree with indoor cats but as that's all I had to offer I took on an adult who had never known outdoors, then a second one because he w...

You don't remember Arkwright? Here - turn the sound right up it's quiet for some reason https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqz82CXOCw

it is usually advised that older cats should not eat dry because of their kidneys, but in my experience if they won't eat fresh meat or fish, and tend to leave the meaty part of wet food, it is going to be difficult to get enough protein into them without feeding dry Yes an important point generall...

What are you using to clean up? Bleach breaks down letting off an ammonia smell which can smell like cat pee to a cat and encourage them to keep on going in the same spot. Is it a marking spray or a pee? It sounds like he is marking for some reason. Or if he only does it in front of you, maybe a pro...

I would go out with her at first, simple as that. If she is curious about the outside world and well bonded to you and home then she is probably ready. And it sounds obvious but leave the door open. With kittens you can use the first few ventures out to teach the basics of being safe outdoors, don't...

Wow that's impressive. Presumably the vet checked him for thyroid function? At one time it was thought elderly cats needed reduced protein to protect the kidneys but recently it's been thought their nutritional needs are closer to the needs of a kitten than to an adult cat ... so you could be on to ...

He wasn't talking to Molly about you was he?


Oh Arkwright ...
All right love didn't see you there!

To be honest I don't have a problem with the price, only finding it if that makes sense. The training and facilities that go into a modern vet practice I know it's a lot of money but a good one is worth every penny, plus all the work they do that they don't get paid for like wildlife, strays and cha...

Hello and welcome1 Unfortunately Felix rolling on her back is not a good sign. In dogs this is submission but in cats what you're describing is actually the opposite, the message is something like "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough". Yes they can roll in a playful carefree relaxed w...

I know there are already a few threads on hyperthyroidism and radioiodine treatment but 1 I don't want to tag this onto any one of those and 2 this is about post treatment recovery. So Molly had her treatment in March and at first seemed to be a very different cat on return, much more chilled, more ...

If you're looking for something cheaper and decent, Butchers Classic tinned is low carb and high protein, grain-free. Downside is if you have one cat that doesn't eat a whole tin in one day, there is a fair bit of waste as it doesn't keep once opened. But there's nothing much wrong with Felix if she...

This is surprisingly common and causes as you know great distress for us when the cats have been happy together for so long. Unfortunately cats are incredibly good at making associations, even if they are the wrong ones. Their psychological nature means they instantly take in every detail of the sce...

If their problem is the PayPal fees then offering to pay the fee should leave them with no excuses. They have breached a PayPal rule though so reporting to PayPal with all your evidence, especially the bit where they demand a personal money transfer, should enable PayPal to get you your money back. ...

Please do not crush tablets unless the vet says it's ok. Actually do not crush human tablets unless a doctor says it's ok. Some tablets are made to dissolve at a steady rate or in a particular part of the digestive system. They can irritate and some can result in 'dose dumping' where the whole lot i...

Hello and welcome, sorry to hear about your boy. There are more than two options, there are four: - Daily pills - Curative radioactive iodine - Surgery - Diet Surgery is still used but has its issues, sometimes one gland is removed and the other one turns bad so another operation is needed, and then...

They say you are what you eat and yes I do believe a food can make a huge difference to 'personality' by changing health and a feeling of wellbeing. If anything I think your experience highlights just how much a cat can be negatively affected by poor or dubious nutrition, because really chicken and ...

Water intake can be a double edged sword it's not as simple as the more the better. A cat's urine is quite strong and needs to be to keep the urinary tract free from infection causing bacteria. Cats don't sweat and rarely pant, they are adapted to hot climates and conserving water as well as getting...

This all sounds horribly familiar as I'm going through similar issues with my 15 year old. He has suspected IBD / possibly intestinal lymphoma plus early renal failure and the vet thinks she felt thyroid nodules. He has had 4 owners and been with me for the past 6 years so I know he was on raw with ...